When a customer sits in Robert Narvaez's chair, he gets more than just a haircut. 

"I can leave a lot of chaos, come here and I feel like I'm at my therapist, to be honest with you," said Al-Amin Muhammed, client and friend of Narvaez. 

Narvaez said his honest and caring spirit comes from his battles.

"My heart comes from, I would have to say, my struggles,” Narvaez said. “My struggles made me who I am today." 

Originally from the Bronx, Narvaez said he was incarcerated for a total of 22 years. The final time, he knew he needed a change.

"I kept going to prison and getting the same results. It just wasn't productive for me or my family or my children," he said.

The change gave him his barber license though it wasn't easy.

"I went to school, I obtained by GED and I just had a plan,” he said. “I set a plan and set another plan. I had to travel to Rochester like four days a week.” 

A change — and a chance — that eventually gave him 4th Quarter Barbershop. Now, Narvaez is using his platform to create his own form of activism. Creating a safe space and inspiring the community through his shop.

"People who come here know this is a safe haven, they know they can be safe and know when they leave they'll come back out how they came," Narvaez said. 

He said he named the barbershop fourth quarter because, at 50 years old, he feels like he's in the last quarter in the game of life. 

But he has one more shot. He wants to open a school to teach the next generation of barbers and help kids stay off the street. 

"As we're practicing our trade we're teaching, we're having discussions, we talk sports, it's a lot more than just cutting hair," Narvaez said.

When asked what he says to kids going down the wrong road, Narvaez said he doesn't mind passing on his talents.

"Come see me, I'll teach you how to cut."

His friends say that's just who he is. 

"Serving the community, a barber. Who does that? Rob does," Muhammed said.

When given a chance, it’s time to make a change, one quarter at a time.   

"I'm paying it forward, somebody gave me a chance, why not give somebody a chance who needs it," Narvaez said.